- While baby wearing has many benefits,
baby wearing products can be dangerous for your baby
if used incorrectly.
It may be hard to believe,
but one of the biggest dangers of baby wearing
is that a small infant who can't yet lift their head
can suffocate while being worn.
This can be due to a number of reasons.
The infant themselves adopt a chin-to-chest position
and this restricts their breathing,
or the baby's face is covered by some loose material
or pressed against the wearer's body.
So to reduce the risk of suffocation,
it's really helpful if you follow the TICKS rule
when you are baby wearing your infant.
T stands for "Tight."
So the sling itself should be tight,
with a baby positioned high and upright with head support,
so any loose fabric that can actually cause your baby
to slump down and restrict their breathing
should be avoided.
The I stands for "In view at all times."
So you should be able to see your baby's face
by simply looking down,
and your baby's face, nose, and mouth
should remain uncovered.
The C stands for "Close enough to kiss."
So your baby should be close enough to your chin
that you can actually kiss their forehead easily.
And the K stands for "Keeping the chin off the chest."
So this will ensure that your baby's chin
is up and away from their body,
and that will ensure that their airway is never restricted.
And finally, the S means a "Supported back."
So your baby's back should be
supported in a natural position,
with their tummy and chest against you.
Another danger of baby wearing is falls.
In fact, a recent study estimated that 14,024 young children
went to the U.S. emergency room from 2011 to 2020
after they were injured when they fell out of carriers
or the caregiver themselves fell when they were wearing one.
Obviously when you are wearing a baby,
your overall weight and center of gravity
changes significantly,
as well as your ability to see your feet
or what's in front of you,
and this can significantly increase
the risk of you tripping, slipping or falling over.
In addition to the risk of you falling over
when you are baby wearing,
there's also the risk that the infant
will fall out of the baby carrier,
so the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend
that to minimize these risks,
you should actually make sure that the size of the carrier
actually fits your child,
so it's not too big or too small.
And that you always check the carrier straps,
buckles, and zippers for proper function before each use,
and when your baby is in the baby carrier,
make sure that they are buckled in properly
and secure in the carrier and that they are seated
before you start to walk around.
Now, this becomes an issue when they're around
four to five months of age and they want to stand up,
so always make sure that your little one
is sitting inside that carrier.
And if you do need to pick something up off the ground
you need to bend at your knees,
because if you were to bend at the waist,
your baby could actually fall out of the carrier
or you could actually hurt your back.
Baby wearing can also promote abnormal hip development.
So according to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute,
if a baby is carried in a baby carrier, sling,
or wrapped for hours during the day,
it is likely to have an influence on their hip development,
particularly if it's in the first six months of their life.
Now this itself could be a good thing,
because if the sling, wrap, or carrier being used
allows the baby to adopt a healthy hip position,
it will promote a healthy hip development.
However, not all baby wearing products do.
In fact, some baby carriers, slings, and wraps
allow baby's legs to dangle down
and their thighs to come together,
and this position may cause or contribute
to the development of hip dysplasia or hip dislocation.
So to minimize this risk,
the International Hip Dysplasia Institute
recommend that when you are baby wearing,
it's important to make sure that your baby's knees
are spread apart
so that their legs are wrapped around your body,
and their hips should be bent
so that their knees are slightly higher than their bottom
and their thighs should be well supported,
so that when you actually look at your baby's legs,
they form an M or frog-like position,
and this is known as the healthy hip position.
In addition to adopting that healthy hip position,
the International Hip Dysplasia Institute
also recommends that you only use inward-facing carriers
or slings to promote that optimal hip development,
particularly in that first six months of a baby's life.
While we're on the topic of development,
if you'd like to learn what to expect
in terms of when your baby
should hit all their developmental milestones,
make sure you click the link in the description
to get your copy of my free developmental milestones chart.
Too much baby wearing can also delay a baby's development.
So floor time play, which includes playing
while lying on their backside or tummy,
is essential for your baby's overall gross
and fine motor development,
as well as their brain development.
And obviously, if your baby is spending all the day
in a baby carrier or being worn,
their ability to freely move around is limited.
Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising
that this can potentially have an impact
on their ability to achieve their developmental milestones,
like rolling over, crawling, sitting, standing, and walking.
So baby wearing can be great,
but make sure you give your baby lots of opportunity
to have that free floor time play.
All of this isn't to say "don't practice baby wearing."
I did it myself, particularly in the period of purple crying
and I will do it again with my next baby
when they arrive later this year.
Baby wearing has many fantastic benefits,
including parents are generally more responsive
to their baby's needs,
which means that baby generally cries less.
And studies have also shown
that the close physical contact of baby wearing
promotes attachment and bonding.
Also, baby wearing is a great way
that parents can keep their babies close and calm
while doing chores or running errands.
Just remember that if you are going to babywear
that you follow these tips
to make sure it's as safe as possible.
As I mentioned, baby wearing is a great way
to calm your baby, but it doesn't always work,
and for those situations,
you want to make sure you watch this video next
to learn three other really effective ways
to calm a crying baby.
I hope you enjoy this one and I'll see you next week.